Recently, Elm posted a piece discussing comments from Kevin Parker, the CEO of Deutsche Asset Management, an investment firm with three-fourths of US$1 trillion under management. We expanded that original post for EHS Journal, who just published it. The expanded … Continue reading →
It is not uncommon for EHS auditors to be asked (or ask themselves) “If you find a noncompliance during your audit, do you report it to the regulators?” The answer depends on the company and audit program, but a recent news item caught our attention due to a variation on the theme. We have no information other than what is publicly available here, but it appears that an organization managing a voluntary electronic waste management certification program found alleged significant non-conformities at a specific company seeking certification. As a result, the organization declined to issue its certification to that company. So far, so good, but the story doesn’t end there… In its declination letter to the company, the organization states: Further, there is substantial reason to believe that such exports may violate Public Act 095-0959 (Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act, recycler requirements) of the State of Illinois, the Federal CRT Rule, (40 CFR Parts 9, 260, 261, 271; Cathode Ray Tubes; Final Rule) as well as the waste importation laws of Hong Kong/China. Further, while it is not our policy to disclose the results of certifying body audits, we can state that the audit only further substantiated all of
Read more →Ed. note: We are fortunate to count Mark Schaffer as an Elm Affiliate. Mark is located in Austin, Texas and runs Schaffer Environmental, providing a range of supply chain, sustainability and product content consulting support to the computer, technology and electronics industries. Mark submitted the following piece on conflict minerals from his perspective on other product content matters. The Dodd-Frank Act requires companies regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report whether their products contain conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other nearby countries. These conflict minerals are defined as cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, gold, wolframite and their derivatives (tin, tantalum and tungsten) – though, in the future, more minerals may be added to this list. These materials are found in a variety of consumer products that we love to use everyday, from computers to cell phones, golf clubs to fishing weights. So, to the purchaser of these consumer products, what is the real impact of whether the product contains one of these minerals sourced from the Congo? Currently, the exact reporting requirements are still not established. The law requires manufacturers sourcing “conflict minerals” to include information on their sourcing in their websites. The SEC
Read more →As previously announced, The Elm Consulting Group International LLC today released its Self-Implemented Conflict Minerals Audit Preparation© (SICMAP℠) for commercial availability. As part of the product release, a short introductory video provides an overview of the tool, its features and functionality. We are in the process of uploading a true HD version of the video on our website. Until that is completed, the version posted here has limited resolution even when viewed in HD mode (the “HD” icon in the upper right hand corner of the viewer window below.) If you have access to YouTube, the video can be viewed in better quality here.
Read more →Elm is featured in today’s issue of the on-line news source Mashable for our innovative use of the iPad for HSE auditing. The article can be read here. With a reported 30+ million monthly pageviews and an Alexa ranking under 250, Mashable ranks as one of the world’s largest websites. The website has a large following on many social networks. As of February 2011, it has over 2 million Twitter followers and over 425,000 fans on Facebook.
Read more →Greetings. This blog was newly launched on February 11, 2010 and we plan to build it over time. We hope this will become a useful source of information and dialog for those interested in – and actually using – the … Continue reading →
Join us for an upcoming webinar Friday, February 25 about using the iPad in HSE audits. We will present an overview of our experiences in using the device on actual audits over the past 6 months. Included in the presentation will be a discussion of evaluating its potential use and fit within organizations/existing audit processes; benefits and limitations; and a detailed step-by-step simulation of an audit using Elm’s selected application (smartNotes), including actual screen shots. The hour-long presentation will be followed by an open question and answer period. Click here for a full description. There will be a morning session and an afternoon session. Click here for the afternoon session. We hope you can participate.
Read more →The Elm Consulting Group International LLC, a specialty health, safety, environmental and sustainability (HSES) management consulting firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Joseph B. Cotier, CPEA as a Director of the firm beginning January 3, 2011. “Joe brings 22 years experience in HSE auditing excellence and client focus to our team” said Patrick Doyle, Elm’s founder and Managing Director. “He is a perfect complement to the firm.” “I have known Joe personally and professionally for close to 20 years and know first hand about his expertise and exemplary qualifications. We are very excited to have him become a part of Elm” said Robert Bray, Elm Co-Founder and Managing Director. Cotier said, “I am happy to be a part of Elm and look forward to continuing to have a positive impact on the HSE auditing field – driving innovation both in the US and across the globe.” Joseph B. Cotier, CPEA, has completed more than 350 EHS audits and management systems consulting projects in more than 35 states and 20 countries. He has experience in a wide range of industries including petroleum refining and chemical manufacturing, electric utilities, breweries and consumer and pharmaceutical products manufacturing. Mr. Cotier is an
Read more →Following a successful implementation of the iPad for HSE auditing, Elm is today rolling out environmental compliance audit protocol modules for field testing this week. “We believe this is the first formal environmental audit protocol implemented in the iPad form factor,” said Lawrence Heim, Director of Elm’s Georgia operations and the firm’s lead for iPad service development. The protocols are reflective of a traditional paper-based format proven in the field over a number of years. Modules selected for field testing are waste generation, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know (“EPCRA”) and ozone depleting substances. “In our view, this as a potentially dramatic step forward in HSE auditing. While version one does not automatically generate audit findings or reports, it has other significant strengths in addition to the benefits already seen by Elm from iPad implementation,” Heim said. Elm highlights the following features: Flexibility. The protocol can be used in a manner matching auditors’ own personal styles in collecting audit data. Handwritten notes are captured in any format, including different “ink” colors, “highlighters”, and line weighting. While the initial protocol version is based on Elm’s standard audit process, other custom formats can be developed virtually without limitation. Adaptability. Elm’s iPad HSE protocol
Read more →We recently announced our trial of and results from using an iPad for EHS auditing. These articles were intentionally short and provided summary information. We were subsequently contacted by the Editor of EHS Journal to provide a more detailed article for their respected publication. That article is now available. We invite you to read it.
Read more →
Follow Us!
By PDGACO payday loans uk